


To Be A Joke And Look

by Kyuko



Category: My Chemical Romance, The Used
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Boys in Skirts, Bullying, Crossdressing, England (Country), Frank has a sexuality crisis because this is in the 90s, Gerard has gender issues, Homophobia, Hormornal teenager antics, M/M, Mikey and Gerard aren't related, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:54:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24088441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuko/pseuds/Kyuko
Summary: Based on the setting from the I'm Not Okay MV, everyone is a hormonal teenager with issues and Gerard wears a skirt.
Relationships: Bert McCracken/Gerard Way, Frank Iero/Gerard Way, Gerard Way & Mikey Way
Comments: 13
Kudos: 38





	1. Little Miss Way

**Author's Note:**

> This fic already exists since February and was the first MCR story I ever wrote but I never felt confident enough to post it. There are four chapters in total so far, but I haven't finished the story yet.
> 
> That being said, enjoy your ride!

Spring break was way too short. Again. Now it’s time for Mikey to go back to school and get shoved into a locker. Again. But it wasn’t all misery and abuse, at least he wasn’t the only one getting kicked around. That silver lining was good enough for him to roll out of bed in the morning. Even if it felt neither like spring nor morning. Mikey would love to be woken up with the sun shining on his face. But that’s utopic for England. Especially Brighton.

He got dressed in his school uniform and packed his school bag. For some reason he still had Frank’s poetry booklet in it. Frank wasn’t the best poet by any stretch, but Mikey certainly appreciated it. There was a cheesy beauty to _The world might be grey, but it's not all black_ , even if he rolled his eyes at it every time. Lately he was talking about wanting to write a song to play on his guitar, but he only had the motivation and not the inspiration.

A loud knock ripped him out of his trail of thought. „Michael, are you coming for breakfast?“ His mom called.

„Y-yeah, just a moment.“ Mikey stuffed the booklet back into his bag and rushed into the kitchen with his bag slung over his shoulder.

***

„He’s late.“

„Yep.“

„I thought we agreed on 7:15.“

„We did. Sucker still has my notebook.“

„Is that him running?“

„Fuck’s sake, Ray, not every beanie wearing twink is Mikey-oh it is Mikey.“

Frank waved obnoxiously at the running boy, getting on his tiptoes. Mikey caught up to the two boys, leaning over to catch his breath. „Sorry, I… I lost track of the time and,“ Before he had the chance to apologise, the bus arrived, „Jesus fucking christ.“ He rolled his eyes and let Ray drag him into the bus.

The three navigated through the cramped public transport to possibly find a seat. Frank ellbowed past a few elders and found a free place next to someone wearing the same school uniform as he did. Usually it’s a bad idea to sit down next to someone from their school, but he had never seen this girl before so chances are she didn’t care about him. Meanwhile Mikey and Ray found a relatively safe standing spot, no need to worry about them.

Frank turned his attention back to the girl next to him. She didn’t seem to notice him since she’s listening to loud music over her headphones. Like. Seriously loud. But she’s pretty. Shoulder length black hair framed her delicate face. Her gaze was focused on her mp3 player, her hazel eyes accentuated by black eyeliner and mascara.

As she turned around she jumped, Frank jumped as well. He didn’t notice how he was staring at her face. He straightened his back and pushed his bangs behind his ear, even if they weren’t in his face at all. She lowered her headphones and smiled awkwardly at him.

„Uh, everything alright?“ She asked in a soft voice.

Frank remained quiet for a moment as if waiting for her to speak again. Crap, he was staring at her again. „No, I mean yes, uh, you go to the same school, don’t ya? The uh, the school uniform and stuff.“

„Seems so, doesn’t it?“ The pretty girl giggled and leaned back into her seat. She brushed her short grey skirt straight and oh jesus christ she’s wearing overknee socks.

„Yeah.“

„Yeah.“

„Yeah.“ That was needless, Frank, he scolded himself. The bus came to a halt and the other pupils hopped off the bus as well. At last he was reunited with. Well. They weren’t really ‚friends‘ but good enough. It’s certainly shorter than ‚people that don’t bully me and I sit at lunch with‘. And they were pretty cool actually and they hung out after class as well. Okay maybe they were friends. Mikey was digging through his bag, seemingly looking for something to show Ray. The girl remained by his side, probably because she didn’t have any friends to go to yet. She was tall for a girl, especially since Frank isn’t even 1,7 meters tall, but he wasn’t one to complain about that.

„Say, do you go to go the 10b as well?“ Frank looked at her face again.

„I do, yeah.“ She readjusted her bag while walking. „You still haven’t told me your name? You can call me Gee.“

Now that Gee was talking louder, Frank could hear the slight nasal tone in it. And it’s rather deep, which was kinda hot. „I’m Frank. And uh.“ He waved towards Ray and Mikey’s direction. „The one with the glasses is Mikey and the other guy is Ray. They’re uh, my friends.“

Having heard their names, the two turned around. „The girl is still talking to you?“ Ray chimed in.

„Yeah duh, obviously. Her name is Gee and she goes to our class.“

„Speaking of which, we gotta hurry.“ Mikey tugged on Frank’s shoulder. They couldn’t be late on the first day after the holidays.

***

It took about five minutes for everyone in the classroom to notice the fact a new a pupil was sitting in their homeroom. A small crowd formed around Gee, with her in the centre. She sat on her desk with her desk with her long legs crossed, clearly establishing a status as someone cool. They were asking her trivial questions about where she’s from—apparently she’s from New Jersey which is pretty fucking far away from Brighton—, whether she’s in a relationship, bla bla bla.

Frank rolled his eyes when Bert, member of the hockey team and one of the hugest assholes to have ever graced these horrendous grounds, made a remark about how he could be her boyfriend if she’s still single and he never wanted to punch someone more.

Bert. _Fucking_ Bert McCracken. From day one he despised Frank for whatever reason. He pushed him against the wall whenever he was ‚in his way‘—because jocks could only walk in a straight line and couldn‘t walk around other people—, made fun of him at lunchtime, and liked to leave him black and blue on occasion. Y’know, as a treat. Frank was by no means his only victim, and that pissed him off even more.

The fumes coming out of Frank’s ears weren‘t lost on his friends. Ray lightly pat his shoulder. He didn’t quite understand his instant infatuation with the new girl. She’s pretty, sure, but she’d likely turn to the popular kids and soon enough she’d smack his lunch tray. It’s always like that.

Finally the teacher arrived. Mrs Willers and her angry demeanor. The pupils hurried to their own seats. She practically smacked her heavy handbag on her desk, as if purposefully trying to break it some day. „Good morning, children. As you might’ve noticed, we have a new student. Why don’t you just introduce yourself?“

Cue Gee turned around in her seat, her hair flipping impeccably. „My name is Gerard Way, but feel free to call me Gee. I moved from New Jersey to England a month ago. I love rock music, Dungeons and Dragons, and coffee.“ She paused. Likely she was out of things to say about herself. In order to end her introduction, she added quietly, „If you have any questions, ask me anything.“

Mumbling errupted from the pupils, yet Mrs Willers loud clearing of her throat was enough to silence the crowd. She proceeded to begin the lesson, English class.


	2. The socks probably weren't necessary

The lesson felt like it was going on forever, but at last the school bell rang. Gerard grabbed his bag and made a beeline for the door. So far it seemed that his students really did believe him to be a girl, which delighted him beyond belief. Everything was going as he planned, he couldn’t wait to see everybody’s faces when they realize he was a boy. Even if it would be a little sad for him as well. He enjoyed being a girl, but there was only so long he could upkeep the masquerade. Gym class would surely be tricky since it’s devided by gender and he could risk serious trouble. Not sure for what exactly, but trouble.

He finally found the restrooms. Good, he needed to check on his makeup. It’s like he constantly had to make sure it’s perfect to keep suspicion low. He took a good look at his face in the mirror as he brushed his hair. Why couldn’t he look like this every day? Well. He could, technically. He could wear makeup and a skirt every day, maybe do something fun with his hair once in a while. But knowing that people would look at him and see a pretty girl instead of a creepy boy wearing makeup made him feel twice as beautiful. Not that he really minded presenting himself as a guy, it just didn’t feel as magical.

Gerard was getting sappy again. He applied some more lipgloss and left the restroom.

Outside of the restroom stood that boy with the afro again, but Gerard already forgot his name. He waved at him. „Hey Gerard.“ Afro boy smiled. „Since you’re new, I wondered whether you want to spend the break with us.“ He fiddled with his tie a little, yet his expression appeared perfectly confident.

Gerard actually was looking forward to flirting with the jocks, but he figured he could get to that later on. So he nodded in agreement.

The halls were mostly quiet, except for the afro boy’s voice as he told Gerard about how cool Frank was. Like that one time he hid inside a locker and he could stand up straight in it. Or when he played his guitar so ferociously his fingertips started to bleed. Gerard cracked a grin. At last they were united with the other two boys and upon seeing Mikey’s face again, a mental lightbulb lit up. Gerard had seen this twink before.

„Say, Mikey,“ Gerard started with his girly voice, drawing attention to himself, „does your last name happen to be Rush?“

„Uh, yeah, why do you ask?“

„Well, my dad told me his girlfriend Donna Rush has a son called Micheal.“

„Weird.“ Mikey pushed his glasses back. „Mum never mentioned Donald’s got a daughter.“

„Especially not such a cool daughter, am I right, Frankie?“ Ray nudged Frank with his ellbow, sporting an open mouth smile. He recieved a barely audible _Fuck you, Toro_ and a rough push in return.

Gerard giggled. They were kinda cute. „Pretty sure we were going to meet sooner or later either way. Dad talks a lot about how he wishing to marry Donna some day.“ Mikey’s mouth dropped agape, but Gerard continued, „Anyway, Frank, I heard you play the guitar?“ Mikey shut his mouth again. Maybe another time.

Frank, on the other hand, completely lit up and simultaneously looked like he didn’t expect Gee to pay attention to him. „Well!“ He started, changing to a wider stance and laying his shoulders back in order to look cooler. „I’ve been taking lessons since I was eight, so I know a thing or two about them. I love coming up with my own songs, and I also dabbled in songwriting for that matter.“ He looked on his fingernails, he’s observed the jocks do that when they talk about how fast they can sprint. And maybe it’s because his Recipe For Cool is working, but she beamed.

„Really? That’s awesome! Do you play instruments as well?“ Gee asked the other two boys.

„Ray—“ Right, that was his name, „—is wicked at playing the guitar, too, and I play the bass guitar.“ Mikey pushed his glasses back.

„Have you considered starting a band?“

They exchanged nervous glances. Ray cleared his throat before speaking. „Well, considered for sure, but uh.“

„We’re whimps that can’t get their shit together,“ Mikey deadpanned.

„I wouldn’t call us whimps, but rather say we never really had the motivation to really start a band. And school is kinda stressful.“

The joy from Gerard’s face fell again. Frank shot a glare at his friends for being honest, yet his face was soft as ever when he turned back to the girl. „But we can surely play a song or two for you some time.“ Ray cringed, Miked looked scared. „Guys, I’m sure if we practice a little, it will be fine.“

„Oh, I didn’t mean to pressure you or anything.“

„No no, I insist.“ Frank grinned at her with a faint blush. She returned the smile.

And because this moment was way too perfect, Bert McFuckface decided to show up. „There you are, girly, I was wondering where you ran off after class. Next is art class and you probably shouldn’t hang out with the weirdos too much, they might infect you.“ He laughed and placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her back inside the school building and not leaving much room for her to protest.

Frank balled his fist. What the fuck ever. He’s positive she’d come back to the three at lunch.

***

She didn’t come back at lunch. And Bert was not with the other jocks at their regular table either. But none of the other popular kids cared, Bert’s seat was empty and they ignored that. Frank was already imagining the worst. What if Bert had convinced her to skip school? What if they were doing drugs or drinking together? What if they were making out in the locker rooms? Sure, Gee was free to do whatever she pleased. It’s her life afterall. But that’s not going to stop Frank’s stomach from twisting. He was looking forward to befriending her, writing her songs and singing her praises every night, taking her to prom, and eventually having four beautiful children.

„Frank, eat your soup before it’s getting cold.“ Ray rubbed his back. He himself was already halfway done with his potato soup. „You’re sad because Gerard ran off with Bert to the gym, aren’t you?“

Frank’s head shot up. „How do you know about that?“

„I saw them, that’s how. Now eat your bloody soup before you run after him.“

He didn’t need to be told twice. Frank started chugging his soup at an animalistic speed. Mikey was unfazed by the entire situation.He took a sip from his coke zero. „You do know she might become my step sister, and you’ll automatically befriend her some day, right?“

„Well maybe not if she becomes McCracken’s girlfriend before that!“

„Mate, you’re spitting out your soup while talking. Gross.“

„Whatever, we gotta hurry.“

***

Bert had been looking forward to this the moment this angel entered the classroom. Gerard had such a sweet face and curves like Aphrodite. Her voice was so pleasantly deep, and he always had a thing for tall girls. He couldn’t stop kissing her, her lips were just too soft and she smelled like flowers.

Gerard pushed him down on the bench to sit on his lap and broke the kiss. She panted softly, her lips swollen and slick from saliva. It took all of Bert’s self control to not suck on her lips again. He decided to give her some time to breathe while he stroked her smooth thigh. He leaned in to gently kiss and lick at her neck, her head dropped onto his shoulders as she moaned out.

„Say, Bert,“ she muttered between her panting, „What’s your issue with Frank?“

Bert froze. All the blood drained from his face and seemed to clog his stomach. He felt sick. Slowly, he pulled away from the girl. „Is that who you’re thinking about? That loser? Way to kill the mood, babe.“

„You both seem to be nice men, so why do you dislike eachother?“ Bert frowned and resumed kissing her jaw. But Gerard pressed him away. „What’s your issue with Frank?“ She insisted.

He groaned. „He’s a weirdo, that’s why. Same goes to Ray and Mikey. Now can we get back to…?“

„Of course.“ Gerard smirked and closed the distance between their lips again. He slid his hand up her skirt and squeezed her thigh lightly. Gerard tore her eyes open and pushed herself off Bert. She brushed her skirt straight. „I’m sorry, I can’t do this.“ Her eyes looked glossy, as if she was about to cry.

„No, doll, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so forward.“ Bert takes her hand and kisses it

„Can we just. Act like none of this happened? Please. I better go to eat lunch now, you should too. Maybe Frank saved a seat for me.“ She slipped her hand out of his.

And as if on cue, Frank arrived at the gym, of course with Ray and Mikey following him. „Gee! We’ve been looking for you!“

„No, only you did. You forced us to come with you.“ Mikey crossed his arms as well as he could holding his bottle of coke zero.

Bert wanted to punch a tree. He’s not sure why he felt so angry, but he knew all would be alright again once he had the cheerleaders fawning over him. No, he _knew_ why he was angry. Because of _Frank_. He never really cared much for the kid and he was fun to push around. And he never fucking expected a beautiful girl to stop making out with him to talk about some idiot that can’t walk up a flight of stairs before breaking down panting. He stormed past Gerard and the losers and gave Ray a push for good measure. It made him feel better.

Gerard turned around to look after Bert.

„Gee, are you alright? What happened?“ Frank laid a hand on her shoulder.

„We just made out a little, no big deal. But can we meet after school? All the four of us.“ She smiled. „Let’s go back to lunch.“

***

The lessons never seemed to be over, but Gerard desperately wanted to go home already. He still could see the upset look on Frank’s face as he told him he was making out with Bert. He was a sweet guy and clearly in love with Gerard as a girl. And Bert seemed to be as well. The thought made him want to cry, knowing how disgusted both would be when finding out he’s a boy. At first, he didn’t think much of testing how long it’ll take for the pupils to notice his gender and had been thrilled to wittness the shock. He still was, but the feeling of fooling Frank and or Bert into falling for a boy felt sick. Bad enough he got caught up enough to kiss Bert, but he shouldn’t make this worse than it needed to be.

Finally, the last lesson ended and the students were free to leave. Gerard hadn’t seen Bert for the rest of the day, but he managed to get his number so he wasn’t too worried about him. He saw Mikey fiddling with his locker and waited for him to get ready. He assured Gerard that Ray and Frank are already outside, no need to wait. They didn’t talk much on the way to the bus or on the ride itself. They all agreed on getting home first, changing into casual attire, and then meet up at Ray’s.

Gerard stepped in the apartment. There were still plenty of boxes littered around the rooms, they never really got around to unbox everything. „Daddy, I’m home!“ He yelled through the tiny apartment. He made his way into his room to get changed, but kept his door ajar to continue the conversation.

„How was school, princess?“ His dad yelled back.

„Exciting; Two boys fell in love with me, and I was making out with the hockey team captain!“

„Great job, just don’t get beaten up.“ His dad left the kitchen to gather up the laundry. „I’ll be in the cellar, if you need me!“

Gerard „uh huh“-ed loudly as he unbuttoned his shirt. He fished the socks out of the bra before unclasping it. It took some digging, but he found both his Iron Maiden hoodie and his favourite pair of skinny jeans. His overknee socks had bunched up at his ankles by this point, but they might as well stay there now.

It’s was disappointing, really, to go from cute highschool girl to chubby nerdy dude but if he wanted to show his new friends that he’s a boy, he should rather try and hammer that point home. That also meant farewell lipgloss and blush. The eyeliner could stay though. If only he could have been born a girl.


	3. Dream On

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The kids jam out ft Frank's poetry

_Do you look in the mirror and see your delight?_

_Do your eyes shine like the stars,_

_Is your skin the moon in the black night?_

_If you nightingale don’t hear your own song,_

_You must be deaf and blind._

„That’s not bad at all, Frank,“ Mikey admitted. „I think she’ll be impressed.“

„And very wooed,“ Ray added, „Have you bought a ring already?“

„Very funny, I’ve known her for one day.“ Frank crossed his arms.

„And you wrote her a cheesy poem already. A ring doesn’t sound too far fetched.“

Before Frank could tell Mikey to go eat a broom, the doorbell rang. He stumbled over his own feet as he raced to the door. But miraculously, Ray answered the door first.

Unsurprisingly, it was Gerard. She looked adorable with that oversized hoodie.

„Hey guys, can I come in?“ She asked like a fool, as if Frank would allow no for an answer.

„Of course, let’s go to my room.“

***

„So uh, let’s just get right to it.“ Gerard brushed a hair strand behind his ear. Deep breaths. He could do this. „You uh, surely might’ve noticed that uh.“ How was he supposed to introduce that topic? He probably had fucked up already, he should start over. The the other guys turned their attention to Gerard, patiently waiting for him to continue talking. They seemed a little confused, but remained silent. Painfully silent. „There is a reason that uh.“

„You don’t look too good, are you okay?“ Mikey asked after another uncomfortable pause. Frank looked concerned, Ray was confused.

„You can say it later if you prefer to.“ Frank rose from the beanbag, holding the paper on which he wrote the poem.

„I’m a boy, not a girl,“ Gerard spluttered out. The words felt like vomit on his tongue. They burnt. His face burnt.

Mikey raised his eyebrow. Ray’s eyes jutted out. Frank paled.

Gerard felt bad for Frank already. He took a step forwards. „I hope it’s okay for you. Say, what’s that paper about—“

As soon as he reached out to look at the paper Frank crunched it up and stuffed it in his mouth, chewing it a few times. _I don't know what paper you're talking about_ , Frank tried to say with his shrug and expression. „No big deal, Gerard, you’re still cool,“ Ray assured him. He stood up to look after Frank who just ran to the bathroom.

Gerard sank into the beanbag next to Mikey. He wanted to cry. „It’s alright, Frank will be alright.“ Mikey reached out to pat him on the shoulder. „He just needs a moment to process his thoughts. You’re not at fault.“

„Is it really such a big deal? I didn’t expect it to be.“ He rubbed his eye, trying to keep it from tearing.

Mikey rubbed his shoulder. „Well, I can’t remember the last time he fell in love with someone. Again, you’re not at fault.“ He scrunched his eyebrows. It’s almost as if his words didn’t comfort Gerard at all. He huffed and grabbed his bag. „Here, you’re smudging your eyeliner. Better take it off before you get zits.“ He offered a pack of makeup remover wipes.

Gerard stared at him, momentarily distracted from his sobbing. Mikey frowned, blushing. „You’re not the only guy that likes eyeliner, now take the damn wipes.“ His mild embarrassment amused Gerard.

„Thank you.“

***

It’s been a while. Frank had been crying, then he stopped. He had been throwing up, then he stopped. Now he was just sitting on the toilet seat—pants up of course, he wasn’t _that_ close with Ray—and not saying a word. Weirdly enough, Gerard wasn’t any less attractive to him now, and… he looked oddly adorable wearing ratty casual clothing without makeup. It had to be because he hadn’t accepted the truth yet. Soon the craving to hold his hand or stroke his soft cheek would fade. He could live being single, he had been for the past seventeen years, afterall. And he only had known Gerard for 10 hours or so. It could’ve been a lot worse. Ray reached out to hold his hand, Frank squeezed it hard. „Are you ready to go back? You could use some distraction.“ He stood up and dragged the shorter one with him. „C’mon, let’s jam out, you can borrow one of my guitars.“

Frank groaned.

„You’re coming with me, Iero.“

He groaned even louder but complied.

Ray was still holding his hand as the two reached his room again. „Say, Gerard, do you play an instrument as well?“

„Uh, I know how to play a chord or two on the guitar, why do you ask?“

„Because Family Toro-Ortiz is loadeeeed.“ Mikey pretended to throw money, his face still neutral despite the joking tone. „His family’s got a bajillion of instruments littered around the house. And he is indirectly asking you if you want to jam with him, aren’t you?“

„Point goes to Rush“ Frank remarked, trying his best to get back into a goofy mood. Mikey gave him finger guns.

Gerard smiled shyly. Guess he got a chance to embarrass himself. But it sounded like great fun. Mikey got up and held his hand out for Gerard who gratefully accepted it, especially since he almost stumbled over while getting up.

Ray grabbed the guitar from his bed and lead the way to the music room. They had an entire room dedicated to instruments, with sound proofing and all. How extra. As soon as Ray opened the door, Frank grabbed the nearest acoustic guitar.

„You know, I think an electric guitar would be an excellent addition to your family’s collection. Like an Epiphone Les Paul or something awesome like that.“ He fiddled with the tuning of the guitar. He testingly strummed a chord. „Oh, that’s sexy as hell,“ he muttered. Mikey threw him an incredulous look.

„My parents would rather buy an antique harp than an electric guitar and you know that.“ Ray himself was also tuning his guitar.

Gerard felt a little lost. There were so many instruments. An accordion, a saxophone, a grand piano, a cello. Just about anything he could think of at the moment. Mikey himself was unsure. He much rather would play his bass guitar, but he forgot it at home. He settled for the keyboard that was right next to the intimidating piano. Gerard would love to lay down on that piano and be fed grapes. But it was too early into the friendship to ask for that.

Something sparkly on the bench for the piano caught his eye. A tambourine! It’s perfect, no notes, no chords, just rhythm. Easy enough. He sat down on the bench and waited for someone to start playing. His hand was already sweating.

Frank began playing a set of chords. Nothing too complicated, just the c major scale, if Gerard’s mildly trained ear would have to guess. Gerard waited for the first beat to begin again and shook the tambourine once. Ray perked up and glanced over to him, making him almost drop the instrument. His hands were sweaty enough for it to slip right out. Uncreatively, Gerard shook it strongly on the first beat, and then more gently on the third.

Ray joined in as well, playing a random melody. It was messy, and at times he stopped playing to figure out something else to play. It threw Gerard off every time, but Frank stayed in the rhythm as if he couldn’t hear sense anything else.

„Mikey, aren’t you feeling it? It’s about as generic as it can get right now.“ It was a mystery how Frank managed to perfectly play the guitar while talking. He changed the key to f minor, and Mikey immediately perked up. Well. At least that’s what perking up looked like on Mikey Rush. He immediately started playing. Whatever telepathy was going on reached Ray as well. He played a very specific melody now. And now it had reached Gerard as well who stopped playing in excitment.

„It’s Dream On, isn’t it?“ He giggled. The three were so damn good, it’s stunning. If only he could...

„Every time when I look in the mirror,“ Gerard began, tentatively glancing at Ray, as if waiting for approval, „All these lines on my face getting clearer.“ He got back into shaking the tambourine every now and then. He should have had drunk some water before this, but all he thought about in the moment were the lyrics and how the notes felt in his mouth.They were playing the song a bit out of order, but you could argue it being a remix or something. The chorus started a lot earlier than it usually would, but Gerard went with it. Upon the lyrics repeating themselves, Frank joined in. He was a lot quieter than Gerard and he wasn’t too focused on it, but at least he wasn’t singing by himself anymore.

And then came the Dream On part that Gerard was dreading. It’s fun to sing when it’s on the radio and you’re joking around, but he honestly wanted to impress Frank—and of course Ray and Mikey as well—so he had to come up with a solution.

Ray played more ferociously now towards the build up and the high notes hit. Gerard did what he could do best and distorted his voice to a screech. He’s gonna feel that later without the warm up.

Everyone dropped dead silent right after. „Dude, that was wicked,“ Frank exclaimed and playfully hit Gerard’s side. „Your voice is rad as hell.“

„Uh, thanks,“ he stuttered out. Well, he did impress them. But now he has to deal with the embarrassment of compliments. Gerard really should think his plans through in the future. „You play the guitar so well, and so did you, Ray. And Mikey, you were awesome, too. How are all three of you so crazy talented?“

„It wasn’t crazy what we did, it’s actually super simple.“ Ray pointed between himself and Frank. He continued, „And if you found Mikey already impressive, he’s gonna rock your socks when you hear him on the bass guitar.“

„Ray, you’re exaggerating.“ Mikey pulled his beanie further down.

„No no, you’re so good, pal.“ Ray stood up to rub Mikey’s back.

Gerard smiled. He had a hard time believing they were getting bullied at school, he enjoyed their company. He flicked his wrist up to look at his watch. Fuck, he needed to go home soon. „Guys, I hate to be a buzzkill but I promised my dad I come home before supper.“ He set the tambourine back down on the bench and Frank stood up.

„No worries, I can bring ya to the door,“ Frank offered, the other two got up as well to goodbye hug Gerard before they went to the door.

„See you at school tomorrow!“ Gerard waved them goodbye, but as soon as he turned around Ray and Mikey snuck behind him. They eventually hid behind a pillar in the hallway, but Gerard could clearly still see them. He put on his converse again and reached for his jacket. „I hope you’re not mad at me, Frank.“

„I’m not, I’ve got no reason to,“ Frank assured him. „Are you gonna tell the school, too?“

Gerard hesitated. „I don’t wanna. But I probably will have to tomorrow, because of gym class. I miss being a girl already, if you know what I mean. It was fun.“ He sighed. „Are the showers any good at school?“

„Cute of you to assume I shower.“

They both laughed. „Me neither, but I’m trying to get in the habit. I hope I can find the time tomorrow. I’m ready to get bullied for using floral scented shampoo.“ Gerard scratched his neck, smiling.

„So uh, see you tomorrow?“ Frank opened his arms ready for a hug.

„See you tomorrow,“ Gerard mumbled. He swayed a little and the hug lasted way longer than seemed platonic but it was also too short for Frank’s liking. He smiled on last time at Gerard before he left and shut the door.

„Dude,“ Mikey chimed in. „You should’ve kissed him when you had the chance.“

„Maybe I should’ve.“


	4. Faking a stomach ache is really easy when you poison yourself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter four, featuring once again bad poetry by me

Frank didn’t expect Gerard to come to school wearing a skirt again. This time he wore black kneesocks with white skulls on them. Frank needed to constantly remind himself that this is a ridiculously pretty boy, not a girl, because he couldn’t help his racing heart every time Gerard looked his way. Even if it crushed his heart because he was currently sticking to Bert’s arm.

Strangely enough, Bert appeared be on the edge at the moment. Or he just always looks like he’s on heroin withdrawal. But he looked nervous, maybe he was anxious because he was stroking the new cute girl’s lower back and he’s helplessly in love. Frank surely would be.

Not that he’s in love, of course. Frank is certain he’s straight. He did regret having soaked the poem he wrote yesterday. He already forgot how to worded it but he was so proud of it. And he honestly still wanted to present it to Gerard.

To show off his writing skill, of course.

Speaking of which, Frank finally managed to get his notebook back from Mikey’s crusty little hands. He probably drew dicks all over his poems.

He opened it up a clean page and uncapped his ink pen.

_Dynamite Angel_

_Blast me outta here_

He glanced over to Gerard. He was chewing—no, smacking—on some gum, looking bored by the story one of Bert’s minions was telling but pretending to act interested.

_You became my sun_

_Can I become yours?_

„What’cha writing there?“ As if Gerard could fucking teleport, he was now sitting next to Frank, leaning over. Instinctively, Frank slapped his notebook shut. „Uh, nothing special. Weren’t you just with Bert a moment ago?“

„Yeah, but I don’t care about last night’s tv program. Now, what are you writing, can I see it?“ Gerard wasn’t letting go of that, but his sparkling hazel eyes and lipstickframed smile were too hard to resist.

Frank hesistantly opened the notebook again and flipped to the latest page. „Just a little poem, nothing special.“

„It’s really cool,“ Gerard said, „and kinda romantic. ‚Dynamite Angel‘ is one hell of a compliment, if you ask me.“

„I’m glad you think so.“ Frank’s back was soaked in sweat. He didn’t expect Gerard to like his impromptu poem and it made it even harder for him to not end every sentence with _I love you_.

Unfortunately, the teacher Mr Burdwing arrived, nullifying any potential continuation of the conversation. Maybe it was better that way because Frank’s mouth was dry as hell.

***

Taking the situation from earlier that day into account, Bert considered himself lucky to have caught Gerard for lunch. He wanted to savour every moment he could before Gerard told the school that he’s a boy and before Bert had to make fun of him for being a creepy crossdresser.

Personally, Bert didn’t mind at all. He had long accepted for himself that he’s bisexual and Gerard was an absolute darling. He even called last night just to tell Bert in advance of his plan to tell the school because he wanted to make sure he felt comfortable kissing another boy. They haven’t had too much private time together but Bert was craving it. He was waiting for then right time to ask him out and that time was definitely not when they were surrounded by these gossip vultures.

Everything was in its usual order. Some at the table were complaining about the teachers, some were laughing about the joke Bert cracked. But Gerard was disturbingly quiet. He tugged on the shorter boy’s jacket and whispered, „I’m feel sick, can you bring me to the nurse?“

Bert raised his chin. „Guys, I’m bringing Gee to the nurse, I prolly won’t make it back in time for PE,“ He announced.

„No worries, I’ll tell the teach.“

„Thanks, Todd. Now come, sweetie.“ He got up and lead Gerard to the nurse’s office, which was thankfully just a few meters away from the cafeteria. He knocked and opened the door.

„Excuse me?“ Gerard asked quietly. The nurse turned to look at him. „My stomach aches badly.“

„You look quite pale, feel free to sit down.“ The nurse turned back to the pc. „Name and form?“

Before Gerard could answer, however, he threw up into the trash can next to the chairs. Bert answered for him. „Gerard Way, 10b.“ He rushed to sit down next to him. „Do you wanna drink anything?“

The nurse furrowed a brow. „I’m the nurse here. Go lay down in the bed behind the curtain there. Do you need any water?“

Bert rolled his eyes but Gee just nodded without a comment and went to lay down. The nurse followed soon and brought him a glass of water.

„What happened?“ She asked.

„I’m on my period,“ He lied, „The cramps are quite strong, too.“ His entire body jerked again and he threw up a second time. The nurse rubbed his back.

„Would you like a pill, dear?“

„Yes, please.“

The nurse left the room to fetch the medicine. Bert handed Gerard a paper towel to wipe the puke remnants off his mouth.„Does your stomach actually hurt?“ He asked. Because there was no way Gee was on his period. Or maybe he actually was a girl and just messing around with Bert’s head. He would see his bare body eventually even if that phrase sounded kinda creepy to Bert.

„Just a little, but because of the poison. Maybe the pills will make it worse, who knows.“ Gerard shrugged. „I’m glad the emetic worked the way I wanted it to.“

„You’re crazy. All that just to skip PE? Kinda impressive, gotta say."

„I don’t wanna be a boy again.“ Gerard laid down on the bed. „I’ll stretch the time out as much as possible. I mean, I’ve went to a few public places pretending to be a girl, but here at school are my peers. And I never expected being percieved as a girl by your peers to feel this…“ He hesitated. The word was on his tongue, ready to be said. He didn’t need to fear being judged by Bert. He was cool with him being a boy, so this shouldn’t be an issue either. His featured softened again. „This _right_. It’s like being different from my usual self to reveal who I truly am, if you can catch my drift.“ The door creaked and the nurse’s heels clinked on the floor. She handed Gerard a pill and a cup of water.

„How are you feeling?“ She asked, „You’re free to go home for the day, if you wish. I can excuse you."

Gerard cringed at the taste of the pill and downed the cup right after taking the first sip. „No, my dad is at work and I don’t wanna go alone.“ The image of throwing up on the bus made him shiver. „I’ll wait until my friends have finished class.“

„Very well. I’m back to my desk, call me if you need anything.“ She then turned to Bert. „And you should get to PE soon, Robert.“

Gerard pulled his knees up to his chest, groaning theatrically. „Noo, wait until the painkiller sets in.“

Bert grinned. „You heard the lady, I’m staying.“

The nurse rolled her eyes. Whatever. She’s not responsible for the kids‘ marks. She returned to her office and left the two boys alone again.

The immediate silence reminded Gerard that he just opened up a lot to Bert even though they didn’t know eachother for that long. He felt an odd amount of trust towards him. But he might feel awkward now, better change the topic. „Say, what do you like to do in your spare time?“

Bert looked taken aback. „Uh, what?“

„Your hobbies. Do you have any?“

„I read a lot. Recently I finished Brave New World, it’s really intense.“

„I think I’ve heard of that one before, ain’t it that about that ‚perfect‘ society where the population is divided and manufactured and shit?“

„Exactly. They sort humanity into different categories to perform different tasks in society and train them to perfect that task. At the very top are the Alphas and at the very bottoms the Epsilons. And the protagonist challenges that structure, it’s so good.“ Bert continued to talk about the book with a mesmerising spark in his eyes. Only when Gerard interupted him by vomiting again did he realize he basically spoilered half the book. But he wasn’t ashamed, no, he was estatic.

Gerard couldn’t help but feel the joy affect him as well, even if the book didn’t sound like something he’d enjoy. A creeping headache pulled him out of the moment though. „I think the pill is starting to work, get back to class before you raise any suspicion.“

Bert’s smile fell. „I guess. Do you want me to pick you up afterwards?“

„No, I promised Mikey to go to the bus with him together. I’m sorry.“

„No need to be.“ He perked up. „How about I give you a little... gift for until tomorrow?“

Gerard giggled. „Sure, but nowhere visible.“

„Nowhere visible, huh?“ Bert smirked and pushed Gerard’s skirt up a bit before lowering his mouth on his inner thigh. He squirmed a little in surprise but nodded when Bert looked up at him. That’s a filthy place for a hickey, but Gerard was excited. Tomorrow he’d wear tights just to make sure it’s hidden.

„It’s a masterpiece, if I may say so mysef,“ Bert laughed. „See ya tomorrow, sugar.“

Gerard’s face had turned a deep shade of red as he rubbed the frankly giant hickey on his thigh. He waved Bert goodbye. „See you tomorrow, handsome.“


End file.
